THE AUTHOR AND HER WORKS

K.B. Schaller's love for words developed in grade school after she wrote her first short story. Years later, she earned her master's degree, served as cultural coordinator and art instructor in a reservation academy, and taught the learning disabled in public school--all while eking out time as a novelist and independent journalist.

Now a fulltime writer, Schaller's first novel, Gray Rainbow Journey (OakTara), set in a Native enclave in the Florida Everglades, won a coveted National Best Books Award, sponsored by USA Book News, was a finalist in two other categories, and was a number 3 Amazon fiction bestseller. The novel also won a 2011 Florida Publishers Association President's Best Books Award for Young Adult Fiction.

An interplay of romance, mystery/suspense and religion, the story's heroine, Native American beauty Dina Youngblood, must make tough spiritual choices when tradition and Native Spirituality collide with mainstream faiths and values.

A member of the Native American Christian Church, Schaller is well acquainted with the continuing angst that Dina experiences in the novel's sequel, Journey by the Sackcloth Moon, published in March 2011.

Schaller has been profiled in Native Peoples magazine and the SunSentinel newspaper; has signed copies of her books at Santa Fe's Institute of American Indian Arts and other venues, is often a featured speaker at conferences and has been a guest on nationwide radio talk shows. Also a painter, she frequently creates character illustrations as part of her presentations.

Schaller lives in South Florida with her husband Jim, a design engineer, her mother Lilly, and the family's two cats. "Chief," a rescued stray from the Seminole Reservation, is the prototype for Gray Rainbow Journey's feline character, “Eddie Was”. She is currently working on her third novel.

Reviews

"Message aside, the story is fun to read—it intrigues and holds the reader’s attention. The characters are vivid; they show whimsy and depth. Journey by the Sackcloth Moon firmly roots Dina Youngblood as a memorable literary character with, one can only hope, more adventures to share."

"If you liked Gray Rainbow Journey, you're going to love the sequel. Journey by the Sackcloth Moon by K. B. Schaller is the continuing story of Dina Youngblood, a young Cherokee/Seminole woman who is seeking her place in modern America... Schaller writes with amazing honesty about Native people. As a Native Christian, Dina is determined to become a witness to other Native people...she also longs to reconcile with Pastor Aaron Burning Rain, whom she rejected for the bewitching character, Marty Osceola. I, too, follow the Jesus Way. It's not easy but I don't regret it. I'm looking forward to Schaller's third book in the series. "

CARLA MCKAY
Winnipeg, MB

"…a gifted storyteller. An electrifying novel filled with presentiment, suspense, surprises...while reading, my anticipation level was extremely high. I hadn't experienced this level of anticipation while reading a book in many years. Aaron was my favorite character: his honesty about his feelings; his sense of humor; his tender and loving nature with Dina; his efforts to keep his promises to God - remaining chaste; his apology for bad behavior (often unusual for a man); his unconditional love for Dina and finally his forgiving spirit. I await the third in this series. "